


Family Feud - part 3 of 4

by awriterfandf



Series: Sailor Moon - an alternate reality [46]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Girls und Panzer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28823016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awriterfandf/pseuds/awriterfandf
Summary: Continued from part 2.
Series: Sailor Moon - an alternate reality [46]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095488





	Family Feud - part 3 of 4

**Family Feud - part 3 of 4**

**Chapter 12:**

"Looks like we're nearly at the staging area" Makoto told her team. "I can see a big field ahead, with packed grandstands around them and... a lot of tanks. I think they're Shermans."

"Hai, that's the type most commonly used by Saunders, Mako-chan" Ami confirmed. "They're fast, maneuverable and quite effective against older model Panzers like ours or Miho's, especially at close range."

"That's what bothers me" her commander muttered. "And there's ten of them but only eight of us. We're outnumbered already."

The band began playing Ooarai's school song while Miho led her teams into the field, halting her Panzer directly opposite Kay's Sherman with their guns facing each other. "Too bad we can't take them by surprise and shoot them now" Makoto joked as Minako parked their tank alongside Riko's STuG. "But that would be cheating."

Following Miho's example, Makoto told her crew to disembark and line up in front of their Panzer, just as the Ooarai commander's team had done. Rei stared at the long row of guns pointed their way. "It almost feels like we're standing in front of a firing squad, Mako-chan."

"Hai. Any minute now I expect they'll blindfold us and line us up against a wall" Makoto chuckled. She watched Miho walk up to Kay, expecting the girls to exchange polite bows, but instead the Saunders' blonde commander flung her arms around the brown-haired girl.

"Konnichiwa, Miho-san! Welcome back to Nagasaki!"

"It's wonderful to see you again, Kay-san!" Miho replied with a warm smile while returning the hug. "How is life aboard the George Washington these days?"

"Great!" Kay grinned. "As it always is! Although we're still licking our wounds after you beat us in the first round of the tournament, Miho! We plan on making up for _that_ unfortunate loss this afternoon." She giggled, "Hope you don't mind!" Kay then waved at Yukari. "How's my favorite spy doing this morning, Yukari-san? Sneak onto any other school ships lately?"

The Anglerfish loader's pretty face reddened. "Um... no, not lately, Kay-san."

"That's a shame!" the Saunders commander laughed. "Maybe if you had, you could tell me who today's other schools are."

"You still don't know?" Miho asked, surprised that such a large and resource-rich school as Saunders hadn't discovered the match's remaining two teams.

"No idea. The Sensha-do governing body kept everything really hush-hush up 'til now. They even rented warehouses in town to hide the other schools' tanks from everyone. But we'll both find out soon enough."

The two commanders watched a Saunders' student walk up to them, holding a neatly-folded Ooarai school flag. "Time to raise your colors, Miho-san. Get two of your girls to do it while the band is still playing your song. Have them use the flagpole at the opposite end of the stage from mine, ok?"

"Uh... hai." Miho turned around, quickly choosing the two girls standing nearest to her. "Minako-san, Usagi-san, would you do the honors please?"

"Hai hai!" Minako beamed, rushing up and taking the offered flag. The two blondes hurried over to the flagpole while Makoto looked at Rei and grimaced.

The miko frowned at the blondes, thinking 'In the name of everything sacred, _please_ don't mess this up!'

"I never raised a flag before, Minako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed when they reached the base of the pole. "How do we do this?"

"I haven't either, Usagi-chan. _Hmm_..." Minako eyed the blue cloth. "Aha! There's two metal rings on it! We just need to put them on those hook-shaped thingies there on the rope and haul it straight up. It'll be as easy as pie!"

"Ok! You do the attaching part and I'll pull on the rope" the odango-haired blonde volunteered.

After a few moments of fumbling, the flag began to rise in sharp jerks up the pole.

"Good grief!" Makoto facepalmed. " _Stop!"_ she yelled at the girls. "You've got the flag on upside down!"

"We _do?"_ Minako peered up at the inverted flag, while the Saunders' team members and much of the audience sitting in the grandstands burst out laughing. "Oops! How on earth did _that_ happen?" the girl with the red bow in her hair blushed. " _Usagi-chan!"_ she hissed, " _Lower the flag fast so I can fix the silly thing!"_

The Ooarai school flag was lowered, quickly flipped around and finally raised correctly, flapping gently in the morning breeze with Minako and Usagi scurrying red-faced back to their Panzer as the music ended.

" _Baka!"_ Rei yelled at the pair. "Can't you two do _anything_ right? We're in public! _And on tv!_ _This is so embarrassing!"_

Usagi grinned sheepishly at the furious miko. "Gomen nasai, Rei-chan!"

"It's not our fault, Rei-chan!" Minako miffed. "We never had to raise a..." She suddenly sniffed an unpleasant odor in the air. "Minna, what's that funny burning smell?"

Both Hana and Yukari had noticed it as well, and the Anglerfish loader spun around to check the row of parked vehicles behind her, spotting black smoke curling up from the engine compartment of one of the tanks. " _Nishizumi_ _-dono! The Tiger P is on fire!"_

Miho uttered a deep sigh, her shoulders sagging and her cheeks flushing bright red as she watched Satoko and her driver hastily scramble up onto the smouldering tank. 'I hope my Yusei isn't here to see this' she thought glumly.

"Tsuchiya, fetch me an extinguisher!" the Leopon commander ordered.

The other girl dove head-first into the turret and quickly passed a red extinguisher up to Satoko. The rear of the ailing Tiger became engulfed in a thick white cloud as its commander sprayed foam into the engine compartment vents.

"That's got it" Satoko said after the fumes had cleared. "Probably just a minor oil leak, Miho-san" she called down. "We can have it fixed in a jiffy... I think."

"I _knew_ this was going to happen!" Yukari grumbled in dismay, while across from her the Saunders girls were nearly doubled over, laughing even harder than before. "This is almost as embarrassing as doing the Anglerfish dance in public!"

"It's not _that_ bad, Yukari!" Saori blurted. " _Nothing_ is that bad!"

"Better to have problems now than after the match starts" Mako murmured. "But... not much better."

"Miho-san, your school certainly knows how to make a grand entrance!" Kay grinned. "This is almost as much fun as beating your tanks in battle will be! I can't wait to see what happens next!"

As if on cue, a Sensha-do national representative handed Saunders' band leader a slip of paper. The conductor held up fingers to signal her musicians which song would be their next piece, and with a wave of her baton, the large band struck up again. Just as Miho and her teams had expected, the all-too-familiar song they now began playing was the German march 'Panzerlied'.

" _Kuromorimine_ is teaming up with me?" Kay exclaimed. She laughed, "Today just keeps on getting better and better!"

Nearly all of the spectators filling the nearest grandstand soon began clapping in time to the music, with the exception of five teenage males sitting in their midst. The Anglerfish team's boyfriends were deeply saddened by Ooarai's misfortune with the troublesome Tiger, and even moreso upon discovering who the school would be competing against. But Yusei knew in his heart that the girl he so deeply cared about would somehow find a way rise above it all. He gazed at the brown-haired girl through love-filled eyes, cheering for her with his thoughts. 'Be strong, my Miho. You can do it. I _know_ you can.'

"Minna, this is it!" Makoto spoke to her crew, raising her voice to be heard above the loud music and clapping. "We finally get to see for real what Miho's sister's tanks look like."

The first Kuromorimine tank in a column of ten soon appeared on the access road, rumbling ominously toward the gathered group with Nishizumi Maho visible in the turret of her massive Tiger I, wearing her steel-grey uniform and combat hat, holding the sides of its cupola and proudly standing ruler-straight.

" _Mako-chan!"_ Minako gasped, grabbing the brunette's arm. "I thought Darjeeling's Churchill was big, but Maho's tank is an absolute _monster!_ Just look at the size of the gun it has! And there are lots more of them behind it!"

"That's it!" Usagi groaned. "We're toast!"

. . . . .

At the very end of the row of Ooarai tanks, Momo stood near her Hetzer, silently scowling at the Ooarai commander. "If _I_ was in charge, none of this would've happened, Anzu. Miho probably has too many other things clouding her mind today. _Lustful_ things!"

"You're still upset about what happened last night, aren't you?" the Student Council President smirked. "And jealous, too. Don't worry, Momo. Someday we'll both find boyfriends."

"If I ever do, I certainly won't be like Miho and sneak him into my apartment for a night of wild unimaginable debauchery!"

"No?" Anzu grinned. "I sure would!"

. . . . .

Watching a drone shot of Ooarai's beleaguered Tiger P, Taro murmured from the sofa, "Minna, things aren't going nearly as well as I hoped they would, and the match hasn't even started yet. I feel really bad for Miho."

"Hai. Me too, Taro-chan" Ryo sighed. "Losing a tank before the battle commences would be a huge setback for Ooarai."

"This? This is nothing" Haruka chuckled. She told the discouraged boys, "In my racing career, I've had to start at the very back of the grid a few times due to mechanical problems. But I didn't finish there" she grinned. "Let's wait and see what happens after the match begins and the shells start flying."

"Hai!" Yuji agreed with the tall blonde. He smiled confidently, "Minna, we've seen what happened in the anime, and all those times Ooarai had its back against the wall. If anyone can turn a bad situation around, it'll be Nishizumi Miho."

. . . . .

**Chapter 13:**

Under Maho's order, Kuromorimine's squadron of ten tanks came to a smooth simultaneous halt alongside Kay's Shermans, forming an intimidating line of firepower in front of Ooarai's mixed collection of tanks.

While Maho climbed down from her Tiger I, Yukari breathed a sigh of relief. "At least they aren't using their Maus today. Just eight Tigers and two Panthers."

"With what they brought with them, they may not need it" Hana frowned.

Maho walked over to join her younger sister and Kay. "Guten morgen, Kay-san." She regarded Miho with a look that bordered on contempt. "And the same to you, Miho. I hope you're properly prepared for today's match."

"I am, Maho. Is mother well?"

"She is. Very well." The Kuromorimine commander stood watching the girls of Ooarai's Leopon team quickly unbolt their Tiger P's engine cover and set it aside. "Much better than the collection of misfit and dilapidated tanks you decided to bring with you today. Normally I would feel insulted, but we both know it's the best Ooarai is able to do."

Standing in front of her Tiger II, Erika laughed at Maho's cruel barb. Makoto's fingers instantly began to curl into fists, but she forced herself to remain calm. "I don't like her" the Luna commander growled under her breath, glaring at Maho with a look that could make even a youma cower in fear. "I don't like her at all."

Kuromoramine was presented with their school flag, which was quickly and efficiently raised beside that of Saunders' by two of the crewmembers from a Panther. The girls stood at attention, saluting the raised iron cross before returning smartly to their tank.

"Why couldn't _you_ do that?" Rei muttered to Minako and Usagi. "Instead of embarrassing us and our school the shameful way you did."

"I _said_ I was sorry!" Usagi grumbled. "Hush up, Rei-chan!"

At the center of the gathering, Maho spoke, "News travels fast in the Sensha-do community, Miho. I understand you have a boyfriend now."

"Hai!" Miho replied with a bright smile, her eyes shimmering with love at the mere thought of her young man. "He's such a sweet and wonderful boy, Maho! My Yusei and I couldn't be happier."

"Congratulations, Miho!" Kay exclaimed. "Is he attending today's match?"

"I believe he is, Kay-san" the Anglerfish commander said. "Though I haven't seen him here yet."

"I do hope he's from a refined and properly well-established school" Maho spoke. "Otherwise, our mother will most certainly disapprove of you dating him." Her lips formed an unpleasant sneer. "In which case, you would of course be required to terminate your relationship. Immediately... and _permanently_."

Miho gasped, taking a quick step back as the smile vanished from her pretty face. "I will do no such thing, Maho! Yusei and I are deeply in love, and we intend on being together as often as we possibly can, regardless of our mother's wishes! Now... and forever!"

"Love truly is blind" her sister murmured. "Nevertheless, consider my words as a friendly warning, Miho. You will undoubtedly pay dearly if you choose to disregard them."

Minako stared in disgust at the older Nishizumi sister, her anger quickly rising to a full boil. "That little... _bitch!_ How _dare_ she say something cruel like that to such a dear friend of ours, meddling with Miho and Yusei and the love they share!" She scowled, taking a step towards the girl, "I've got a good mind to tell her-"

Rei placed her hand on Minako's shoulder. "Settle down, Minako-chan. Yusei isn't going anywhere. I know what true love looks like too, and as you're so fond of saying, true love conquers all."

Even usually demure Ami was visibly upset. She urged her commander in a near-whisper, "Maho is trying to panic Miho and break her spirit before the match starts! We can't let that happen, Mako-chan!"

Makoto said nothing in reply, but the rage that flashed in the tall brunette's green eyes spoke volumes more than mere words ever could.

. . . . .

Unable to hear what the three commanders were talking about on the live feed from the alternate Nagasaki, Yuji instantly knew from the expression on his fiancee's face that things had suddenly taken an unpleasant turn. "My Mako looks really angry" he murmured. "And Miho looks unhappy too." The image on their television panned away to another shot of the still-disabled Tiger P.

"I noticed that too, Yuji-chan" Taro spoke. He chuckled, "Knowing your girl, all I can say is if Maho says or does anything to make Mako-chan any more upset, heaven help Kuromorimine! And Saunders too!"

"That's the truth!" Yuuichirou grinned. "Mako-chan doesn't need to henshin into Sailor Jupiter. There'll still be hell to pay!"

. . . . .

The Kuromorimine school anthem ended with a flourish, and after another minute of waiting, Maho impatiently gestured toward the vacant area beside Ooarai's parked tanks. "Was you school intending on competing alone today, Miho? Not that it would make much difference. I understand that the Akagi is offshore, not very far from Nagasaki as a matter of fact. If your supporting team is Chi-Ha-Tan..." she smiled, "this match will be decided _very_ quickly."

"I... I still don't know who will be paired with us" Miho murmured, visibly distraught at what her sister had said about her beloved Yusei. "Or why they aren't here yet." She gathered her courage and looked her older sibling straight in the eyes. "But I do know one thing, Maho. In my Panzer there's a shell with your tank's name on it."

"Hontou ni? Such strong words from a girl whose needless abandonment of her post cost Kuromorimine an important battle, and spoiled our long championship winning streak. I suggest you say nothing more, Miho, lest you do the same to your current, obviously third-rate school. You were fortunate to somehow manage to win the last championship, but today is the day you will discover that your luck has finally run out."

Yukari stunned her friends when she yelled at the Kuromorimine commander, "Where's your Maus, Nishizumi-san? Is it still busted from the last time we fought?"

Erika answered for her school's Sensha-do leader with a cold-hearted laugh, "Our Maus is fully repaired and ready for action. We simply have no need of it today. Not against you and those feeble tanks Ooarai has." She sneered at the curly-haired girl, "You still haven't learned your place, have you? That's something I'm looking forward to correcting this very afternoon."

Makoto opened her mouth to tell Erika precisely what she could do with her fancy tank when Usagi abruptly tugged on her arm. "Mako-chan, look over there! Way past the field where the ground slopes down out of sight. Do you see it?"

The Luna team's commander turned to face where Usagi had pointed, spotting a thick cloud of dust on the horizon which grew ever larger by the second. "Hai, I see... _something_ , Usagi-chan. But I'm not sure what."

Unnoticed by the members of the three waiting teams, two girls dressed in dark green jackets and black skirts had stepped up to the microphones on stage. The dust cloud widened further and a sudden distant, low rumble began to fill the air.

A moment later, Saunders' band burst into life, beginning their final school theme song of the morning while two other girls in green and black stood ready at the last empty flagpole, their school colors already in hand.

Yukari's face broke into a wide grin when she heard the music, which was accompanied by the two girls on stage launching into song, singing the melody to 'Katyusha' in its native Russian.

In a nearby grandstand, Yukari's boyfriend mirrored his girl's smile. As the red, white and yellow flag shot briskly up the last empty flagpole, Ryoto caught Yusei's eye and both sixteen-year-old boys spoke the same word together.

" _Pravda!"_

. . . . .

**Chapter 14:**

Ami also found herself smiling at the sight of the Pravda school flag. 'Perhaps we have a chance of winning today's match after all' she thought.

Usagi stared at the banner flapping in the breeze. "I can't remember very much about this school, Mako-chan. Is it good news for Miho?"

"I'll say one thing, Usagi-chan" the tall brunette grinned. "It wiped that arrogant smirk off Maho's face real fast!"

The Pravda tanks were now visible at the front of the thick dust cloud, running side-by-side and charging fast towards the staging point across open ground, the roar of their engines echoing off the grandstands. "I count twelve of them, Mako-chan!" Rei spoke excitedly. "That should nicely even our chances."

"Hai. It's the first break Miho's gotten all day."

Yukari carefully studied the approaching machines. "Looks like they're deploying six T34/76s and... _six /85s!'_ she exclaimed. _"_ We finally have some big guns on our side!"

"They'd better reduce their speed soon or they'll miss the access road to the staging area" Mako mused as the tanks continued charging forward.

But the powerful Soviet-era tanks didn't slow down or make the slightest attempt to turn onto the road, instead plowing straight through a stout wire fence and leaping across the ditch beyond it, shaking the earth beneath their tracks as they thundered into the field.

"Now _that's_ what I'd call a dramatic entrance!" Minako laughed above the music and singing as Pravda's school anthem played on. "Minna, look! There's Katyusha! And Nonna too!"

"This _is_ a surprise, Anzu" Momo said. "Katyusha was the last person I expected to meet here today."

"Hai. Pravda doesn't usually operate this far south. All the better for our side!" the Council President laughed, leaning back against her Hetzer's front armor.

The T34s braked hard and pivoted sharply, pulling up to a stop alongside the tanks of Miho's teams. The teens watched as Katyusha climbed out of her turret and stood waiting on the hull of her T34. Nonna strode over to her commander, allowing the tiny girl in charge to climb onto her shoulders.

Ami giggled, whispering to Makoto, "I had assumed that such odd behaviour only happened in the anime, Mako-chan. But they actually do it in real life!"

"I guess it's because Katyusha is even shorter than Anzu" the brunette chuckled.

"I heard that, Makoto-san!" Anzu grinned. "It must feel nice to be the tallest girl here."

Bearing her diminuitive commander, Nonna walked up to the other three teens as the band finished playing and fell silent. "Greetings from Pravda!" Katyusha spoke. "Our glorious machines are on _your_ side today, Miho!"

"Arigatou, Katyusha-san" the Anglerfish commander smiled, bowing politely to the girl. "We've been anxiously waiting for you."

"Sorry we arrived late, Miho-san" Nonna apologized. "There was a problem at the warehouse where our tanks were being held. The main door had somehow jammed closed and refused to open despite all attempts to repair it."

"Oh? How did you finally get out?"

Katyusha laughed, "As if a simple broken door could stop the might of Pravda! _Ha!_ A few shells from our guns and that meddlesome door exists no longer!"

"You _shot_ your way outside?" Miho gasped.

"Hai! Of course we did!"

"You should have saved those rounds for battle" Maho cautiously spoke. "Instead of acting in such a heavy-handed manner, Katyusha-san."

The Pravda commander regarded her opposition's line of tanks and answered with a dismissive wave of her hand, "We have more than enough shells remaining to deal with your tanks, Maho-san. And Saunders' Shermans too, Kay! Be warned, we will neither expect nor show any mercy toward you!"

'Now _that's_ what I wanted to hear!' Makoto thought, a wide grin appearing on her face.

Three female Sensha-do judges appeared from behind the stage, walking briskly up to the four school commanders and Nonna. After bowing, the senior among them greeted the girls, "Minna, konnichiwa. We formally welcome you and your teams to today's competition in Nagasaki. I will now explain the rules regarding today's match."

"I assume we'll be using flag tanks in this engagement" Maho said.

"Not today, Nishizumi-san. This battle will be carried out under the last-tank-standing rules." She continued speaking as another judge passed folded maps of the battlefield to the commanders, "Your teams' starting points are as indicated on your respective maps. For this event, Kuramorimine Girls Academy and Saunders University High School will compose Blue Team. Ooarai Girls Academy and Pravda Girls High School are Red Team. Please ensure that each of your tanks reaches their assigned starting area before hostilities commence ninety minutes from now."

"Hai" Miho and her sister nodded.

"You may use the first thirty minutes between now and then to discuss tactics between your joint commanders, after which you may brief your crew leaders at the designated huts. They are located west of the grandstands, behind the catering vehicles. We expect to witness fair play during today's match" she cautioned. "Attempts at cheating or trickery in any form will result in immediate disqualification of the school involved. On behalf of the Sensha-do Federation of Japan, we wish you and your teams good fortune, a safe match, and success on the field of battle."

The Sensha-do judges and team commanders soon ended their talk with another traditional bow.

. . . . .

After the judges had left, Nishizumi Maho returned to her Tiger, gesturing for Erika to follow her. They walked several meters behind the massive vehicle, well out of earshot of anyone from the two competing schools.

"Pass the word to my other Kuromorimine commanders, Erika. Unless absolutely necessary, no one is to engage Miho's Panzer. I will formally request that Kay and her teams do the same during our meeting."

Erika smiled evilly. "Saving her tank for yourself, Maho?"

"Of course I am. I do not dislike my sister, but the recent string of victories she has cobbled together has elevated her status as a commander, and raised Ooarai's reputation as a competent Sensha-do school far beyond the point where they both deserve to be. That ends... _today_."

"Aren't you concerned that Pravda will make our win today more difficult?"

"Difficult? Possibly. But still eminently achievable, Erika, and I predict with only moderate losses to us. My mother has stated she will tolerate no further embarrassment to Kuromorimine, and I intend to honor her wish by seeing Miho utterly defeated, and every last one of her pathetic tanks returned to her school ship in pieces. Nothing less that that will be acceptable."

"My Tiger's crew is ready and able to make it happen, Maho." Erika laughed, "And we have one less tank to worry about. That freakish Tiger P may be well-gunned, but it will probably destroy itself before the match is halfway over, if it even lasts that long." She glanced toward the opposing team's tanks and spotted Makoto and a blue-haired girl talking. "Did you notice the look Ooarai's new Panzer IV commander, that tall brunette with the ponytail, was giving you Maho? I thought for a minute she was going to take a swing at you!"

"I'll let my Tiger do the fighting for me, Erika. She and her rookie team and their puny Panzer with that ridiculous crescent moon emblem on its turret, are going to soon learn, just as Miho will, that my fist of iron is much deadlier than their tanks could ever hope to be."

As Maho turned away, she said, "I'm going to go talk to Kay about our strategy for today's match. Bring my other commanders to our hut in half an hour for a final briefing."

"Hai" Erika nodded. "We'll see you then."

. . . . .

Finding themselves with half an hour to kill before Makoto and the other Ooarai and Pravda commanders were to meet with Miho and Katyusha, Usagi dragged the other members of Luna team westward. "Minna, follow me! I heard that Sensha-do judge say something very important a minute ago and we need to investigate it right away!"

"Was it something about the match, Usagi-chan?" Makoto puzzled.

"No! About the catering trucks! I'm _famished!"_ the blonde grinned. She sniffed the air and pointed, "My nose tells me the food is that way! And it smells yummy!"

Rei sighed, "It never fails. Odango-atama could somehow find food in the middle of the Sahara desert! I think you're part bloodhound, Usagi-chan."

"Stop teasing me, Rei-chan!"

The group soon found the line of converted military vehicles parked at the base of a grove of trees, providing everything from coffee to full hot meals. Usagi nearly leapt for joy, her mouth sporting a massive smile. " _Minna!_ They have _hamburgers!_ And _hot dogs!_ And _french fries!_ And-"

Minako began waggling a finger at the other blonde. "If you eat too much now you may get sick in our Panzer during the match, Usagi-chan. And that just won't do! I'm going to be driving my tank harder and wilder than ever before, so please try to pace... yourself..." She looked at Makoto and giggled, "It's too late, Mako-chan. Usagi is already at the burger truck!"

. . . . .

**Chapter 15:**

"Ohh! Minna, I think I ate too much!" Usagi groaned, clutching her stomach while the Panzer she sat in jostled its way across uneven ground.

"Serves you right, Usagi-chan." Rei muttered at the girl from her jouncing perch beside her gun's breech. "Two cheeseburgers, a hot dog with all the toppings you could possibly cram onto it, and... I lost track of everything else you devoured this morning."

"I was really hungry, Rei-chan! _Starving!_ But now I'm way too stuffed! Why did those stupid burgers have to taste so good?" She felt the front of the Panzer rise as Minako drove up a hill, trailing closely behind Riko's STuG.

"Try to forget about the food, Usagi-chan" Makoto's voice ordered from above the cupola of the Panzer IV. "Concentrate on your radio, ok? The match starts in about fifteen minutes, and I want you to monitor Pravda's radio frequency too, not just Ooarai's. Tell me every time you hear that a tank was knocked out of action, from any team, and where it happened if you can find out."

"That sounds like a lot of work!" the blonde grumbled. "Hai. I'll try, Mako-chan."

"Minna, I need everyone to stay as sharp and as focused as you possibly can be today. It's our only hope of surviving against those big guns Kuramorimine and Saunders have." The brunette frowned, her voice becoming ice cold, "We've got a little score to settle with Nishizumi Maho. And with her flunky Erika too, if we're lucky enough to get the chance. _So let's make it happen!"_

_"Hai!"_

Ami sat attentively at her gunner's sights, primed for action and already slowly pivoting her weapon from side to side. "Didn't Katyusha say her T34s would be taking care of the Shermans, Mako-chan?"

"Hai. She promised Miho that Pravda would keep Kay's tanks off our backs, so all Ooarai supposedly has to worry about is Maho's Tigers and Panthers. At least that's the plan."

"As if that wasn't enough" Rei murmured. "Tigers and Panthers..." She shifted uneasily in her seat. "You want me to load our gun now, Mako-chan?"

"Do it. And as always, reload as fast as you can after we shoot. Try to break your old record, Rei-chan. Every second is going to count in this battle."

Rei opened the breech and slid a heavy shell into place. "Our gun is loaded and ready to fire, Mako-chan."

"Arigatou." Makoto carefully examined the marks she had added to her map after the Ooarai commander's meeting with Miho. "Our starting position for today's match is on flat ground at the other side of the hill we're now climbing. South of us will be a pretend town with lots of buildings and streets and stuff like that. And south of the town is... a whole lot of enemy tanks. When the match begins, we'll be moving slowly into the town behind Erwin's STuG, so be ready for anything, Ami-chan. I'll keep an eye on what's happening behind us, so you may need to spin our turret around and shoot fast. Miho believes that if her sister sticks to her usual tactics, we could be getting swarmed by groups of at least two or three enemy tanks, maybe even more. We definitely need to get the first shot in, and Erwin's STuG does too, then we'll try to run around them and hit them again before they can accurately return fire."

"I'll do my best, Mako-chan" Ami nodded. "I assume you'll want me to target their tanks' engine compartments if possible?"

"That's right. It's about the only weak spot anywhere on Kuramorimine's huge machines, other than their undersides. If you can't hit them where it hurts the most, aim for their tracks."

"Understood."

Makoto chuckled, "Minako-chan, I think you know what I'm going to ask you to do."

"No need to worry about my part, Mako-chan!" her blonde driver exclaimed. "I'll have us spinning around those enemy tanks so fast it'll make them dizzy! My Panzer's gas pedal is going to get the absolute life stomped out of it! When we need speed, I'll drive our tank like the wind! Or even better" she giggled, "like a raging typhoon!"

"Typhoon Minako" Rei grinned. "Oddly appropriate, considering your lead-footed lunacy at the controls of every other vehicle you've ever driven, from that tiny garden tractor at Yuuichirou's parents' home in Okinawa to Haruka's Ferrari."

"Well, today I _need_ to drive harder and wilder than I ever have before, Rei-chan. Maho made me really upset when she told Miho those cruel things about her relationship with Yusei, so I'll make _sure_ we'll be in a good position for Ami to get revenge on those silly Tigers and Panthers! They won't know what hit them!"

"As long as you don't _actually_ hit them with our tank" the miko muttered. "Or wedge us between two of them like you did in practice last Wednesday. No more tank sandwiches this time, Minako-chan."

" _Sandwiches?_ I ate one of those too!" Usagi moaned, gently massaging her tummy. "Or was it two? _Ohh!_ Minna, _please_ don't anyone mention food again today! Just the _thought_ of eating makes me feel all queasy and awful!"

"That has to be a first" the girl behind her snickered. "Who would've believed it?"

Usagi spun around in her seat and glared up at the loader. "Can't you be less sarcastic just this once? I'm _suffering_ here!"

_"Food! Food! Burgers and milkshakes and cake and-"_

_"Shut up, Rei-chan!"_

. . . . .

"I just heard from Erwin's and Makoto's tanks, Miho" Saori told her commander over the intercom. "Luna and Hippo teams have reached their assigned starting point."

"Arigatou, Saori. That's everyone in place. We still have about five minutes before the match begins, so does anyone have any final questions about today's game plan?"

"I have a question" Hana said. "But not about our strategy, Miho. It's about you. You don't seem yourself since the school commanders met at the staging area earlier today, and I was wondering... is it because of what your sister said? About your mother possibly demanding you break off your relationship with Yusei?"

Miho lowered herself into the turret. "Hai. That's exactly it" she admitted with a deep sigh. "I'm supposed to always act like a good commander, Hana, appearing strong and positive in front of my teams no matter what the circumstances are. But those hurtful words..." She gave her head a shake and forced a smile onto her lips. "Minna, please forgive me. I promise I won't let it interfere with my leadership in today's match. I... _can't."_

"Did what Maho say really change anything, Miho-san?" Mako spoke from the driver's seat. "Do you and Yusei still love each other? Are you going to keep seeing each other?"

"Hai. We certainly do and we most definitely are!" Miho replied, her smile becoming brighter. "I won't let anything or anyone come between my Yusei and me, Mako. Not my sister or my mother either!"

"Then what's the problem?"

Miho fell silent for a moment. "There... uh... I guess there _isn't_ one?" she giggled, realizing that her driver was right.

"Exactly." Mako murmured, "There isn't one. Now, if I may, I think I'll take a quick nap. Someone please wake me when the match is about to start."

"I'll wake you, Mako" Yukari volunteered. The curly-haired girl reached under her seat and produced a small wooden box, grinning evilly.

Miho's eyes widened. She leaned close to her loader and softly whispered, "Is that what I _think_ it is, Yukari?"

Her loader whispered back, "Hai! It is, Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari quietly opened the box and lifted out her bugle. "I bet it'll sound _great_ inside our Panzer!" she giggled.

. . . . .

**Chapter 16:**

Saori looked up from her radio. "We were just notified by the judges, Miho. One minute until the match begins."

"Arigatou. Please confirm that the other Red team commanders are ready for action, Saori."

"Hai. Contacting them now."

Miho giggled as she watched her loader raise her bugle to her lips, the curly-haired girl grinning wickedly. "You're really going to do it, Yukari?"

"Hai!" she nodded. "It's time for Mako's wake-up call, Nishizumi-dono! I always keep my promises!"

. . . . .

In Luna team's Panzer, Usagi pressed her headphones tightly to her head with both hands, listening intently to the alert from Red team's lead tank, when a sudden deafening musical refrain blared from the speakers covering her ears. "One minute to go, Mako-ch- _Ahhh! That noise!"_

After the bugle's strident melodic call had died away, she heard the radio operator in Katyusha's T34 yell, " _What the hell was that?"_

"Mako-chan, I just heard something really loud on my radio that sounded a lot like a trumpet or a bugle!" Usagi exclaimed. "Ohh! My poor ears are still ringing!" She quickly changed frequencies to the channel used by the Sensha-do judges and patched it through her Panzer's intercom so Makoto could hear them directly.

"A _bugle?_ Yukari must be at it again" the tall brunette chuckled from her position above the turret. "It's nearly showtime, minna. Follow Erwin's lead when she starts rolling, Minako-chan. Keep a gap of about four tank-lengths between our Panzer and her STuG at first, and close to two lengths when we reach the town. But no closer than that, ok?"

 _"_ Got it, Mako-chan!" the excited blonde replied. Minako began gunning her tank's engine. " _Come on!_ Let's get the match started! I've been waiting for this day since _forever!"_

 _"_ Not much longer, Minako-chan. Be patient."

 _"_ I'm trying to. It's nearly time for Panzer driver extrordinaire Aino Minako to give our audience, and Anglerfish team's boyfriends, just the kind of exciting action they've been waiting for! And maybe even more!"

"More? Are you going to hit _two_ trees this time?" Rei laughed. "Why not make it three today?"

"Of course I won't, silly! There aren't any trees in the town I'll be driving us into." The blonde giggled, "At least I hope there aren't!"

Riko turned around and gave Makoto a confident thumbs-up from her STuG, grinning when the tall brunette smiled back and raised her right arm to briskly salute her. The girl wearing the Field Marshall's cap returned the salute, ducked inside her tank and pulled the hatch closed, settling herself behind her periscope's binocular eyepieces.

"Ami-chan, when we reach the town, start turning the turret until your gun faces backwards" Makoto ordered, deciding to remain exposed above her cupola as long as she safely could. "I don't intend for us or Erwin's tank to become sitting ducks if Kuromorimine tries to pull a fast one."

"Hai" the blue-haired girl nodded. "I've got my left hand on the turret control and my right index finger beside the trigger, Mako-chan."

A female voice crackled over the radio of every tank on the battlefield, as well as through speakers at the spectator grandstands and the television sets of Sensha-do fans watching at home, bringing the competition abruptly into thundering life.

_"Match start!"_

. . . . .

At Makoto's house, Yuji leaned further forward with his attention unwaveringly fixed on the tv screen, the boy gulping down a mouthful of popcorn as the first Pravda tank began charging ahead. He watched Katyusha gesture wildly for her other tanks to follow her lead. "Minna, here they go! Good luck, Mako honey! Win big today, Miho! We know you can do it!"

"Hai! Beat your evil sister, Miho!" Taro blurted at the television, totally caught up in the action. A rapidly-shifting image from one of many stationary drones hovering high above the battlefield briefly displayed the tanks of teams Luna and Hippo begin rumbling towards the still-unoccupied town. "Don't hold anything back, Minako my love!"

"I think in your fiancee's case, holding back won't be a problem, Taro-chan" Mamoru chuckled from the center of the sofa. "Not if she drives her Panzer the same way she drives her car!" He crossed his fingers, murmuring, "My every thought is with you, Usako. As they always are. Whatever happens today, win or lose, I know you and the other girls will have done your very best."

"My! Everyone is certainly getting into the spirit of the match!" Michiru smiled at the boys. "I must admit that not having previously viewed the anime, I find it all the more exciting to witness this live."

"It'll get even more exciting soon, Michi-chan" Haruka grinned. "Twenty huge, heavily-armed battle tanks on each side, every one of them crewed by a bunch of trigger-happy teenage girls all gunning for their high school's fame and glory. Hai, it's bound to get a _lot_ more exciting any minute now!" She gestured with her empty bowl toward a gigantic bag of popcorn sitting out of the blonde's reach at the opposite end of the sofa. "Yuuichirou-chan, would you mind topping me up, please? I seem to have run out already."

. . . . .

Leaving the town for Miho's teams to navigate their way through, Pravda's squadron of a dozen T34's instead thundered south in echelon across a long expance of flat grassland to the east of the artificial village. "Onward to victory, comrades!" Katyusha urged her crews over the radio above the clatter of tracks and the roar of twelve powerful diesel engines. "Today we will crush Saunders in a firefight that will long be remembered in Sensha-do history! And then, we shall aid Ooarai in ridding the battlefield of any Kuramorimine tanks foolish enough to dare cross our path!"

Nonna radioed the Pravda commander from the tank nearest hers, "I am spotting enemy activity south of us, Katyusha-san. An unknown number of tanks are approaching us at high speed. Line abreast formation."

"Kay wishes to come out and play? _Otlichnyy!_ We will close to the maximum range of our guns, then slow our tanks for the most accurate aim. The outnumbered Shermans will blunder forward to their impending doom! Understood?"

" _Hai!"_ eleven teenage tank commanders echoed back.

. . . . .

Kay spoke to her commanders through her microphone, "Just as Maho and I expected, Katyusha is committing all of her tanks in a single big rush, that crazy girl! Initiate Envelopment Plan A on my mark... _Now!"_

Unknown to Katyusha, the two Kuramorimine Panthers had been separated from Maho's Tigers and added to Saunders' arsenal. The Shermans quickly separated into two groups of five tanks each, with a Panther accompanying each group, and they angled east and west of the still-charging horde of T34's. "We'll give Pravda a rude awakening they won't soon forget!" Kay laughed. "All tanks, maximum speed! _Pour it on!"_ She asked the commander of the western group, "Still missing your Firefly, Naomi?"

"This Sherman will get the job done" Naomi confidently replied from beneath the closed hatch of her American machine's cupola. She blew a bubble from the gum she was vigorously chewing. "There's no chance Katyusha will recover from your pincer movement before losing at least few tanks, Kay."

"More than a few!" Saunders' overall commander insisted. "We'll swing behind them to close our trap and finish them _all_ off!"

. . . . .

Katyusha was only partially caught off-guard at Saunders' sudden tactical move. "Miho was wise to warn me about this possibility!" she exclaimed. "If Kay thinks she can trick Pravda with such amateur tactics, she is badly mistaken!" She yelled a new command into her microphone, " _Echelon split!"_

Mirroring Saunders' move, six T34's pivoted east and six more west of their original path, racing head-on towards the advancing Blue team's two groups of tanks.

Nonna's calm voice crackled in the headsets of Pravda's commanders as the tanks of both sides entered their guns' maximum firing range. "Warning. There are two Panthers mixed in with the Shermans."

"Nani? Maho is playing dirty!" Katyusha blurted angrily. "All tanks, immediately attack your nearest enemy head-on! _Destroy them all!"_

 _"_ This is going to get ugly!" Kay chuckled, spotting a bright muzzle flash from one of the T34's. She dropped into her turret. "Minna, _fire at will!"_

The battlefield soon resonated with the thunder of two dozen guns as the schools engaged in what quickly collapsed into a confusing melee of swerving steel and flying munitions.

. . . . .

"Something's happening east of us" Makoto spoke to her crew, hearing the muted booms of uncountable high-velocity rounds blazing from gun barrels echo off the walls of the town her Panzer had just entered. "Something really big. Usagi-chan, report!"

"There's way too many radio calls to follow everything, Mako-chan!" Usagi yelled back. "But Pravda and Saunders are really going at it! Wait..." The blonde paused for a moment, then spoke rapidly into her tank's intercom, "I think maybe two or three tanks are out of action so far... no, five! _Five_ tanks, Mako-chan!"

" _Whose_ tanks?" Makoto pressed, frowning at the lack of information.

"I'm not sure! Everything is going crazy over there!" Usagi heard a shout of victory from the radio operator of one of the T34's, followed a second later by the unmistakable sharp clang of a shell striking her tank's hull. Communications from the ex-Soviet tank abruptly ceased. "There go two more, I think! Hai, one on each side!"

"Not good" the brunette grumbled. "At this rate, we won't know if Maho is able to reinforce her Tigers with any leftover Shermans until it's too late. If she can, Ooarai is in big trouble. Any word from Miho?"

"Nothing yet, Mako-chan. Wherever she is, her Panzer's radio is dead silent."

"It's the dead part that worries me" Ami murmured, her face pressed snugly against the leather-covered padding surrounding her gun's scope.

. . . . .

The teens at Makoto's house observed the ongoing carnage in the large open field play out on their tv screen, as seen from a hovering drone's wide-angle camera lens. "They're dropping like flies on both sides!" Taro exclaimed. "Look at all the white flags and black smoke! What a mess!"

"Hai, this is what I'd call a real barroom brawl, Taro-chan" Haruka chuckled. "At this rate of attrition, another few minutes and only Ooarai and Kuromorimine will be left in the game." She watched as a T34/85 and one of the Panthers crossed paths, both swivelling their turrets and firing at each other from point-blank range. "There go another pair."

"I assumed Katyusha and Kay would've been a lot more subtle with their initial attacks" Ryo spoke in awe. "But this... this is _brutal!"_

"War is hell, or so they say, Ryo-chan" Yuuichirou grinned above the intense noise of roaring engines and firing guns blasting from the television's speaker. "And Sensha-do is too! Minna, I think the best outcome we can possibly hope for is that everything evens out between Saunders and Pravda, so Ooarai doesn't end up outnumbered when the dust from this bloodbath finally settles."

"Hai" Yuji murmured, the boy clenching his hands together in concern for the safety of his bride-to-be. "I hope my Mako and her Panzer won't face anything this insane when they engage Maho's huge Tigers."

"Me too, Yuji-chan" Ryo nodded. "And speaking of Maho and her tanks... I wonder where they are?"

. . . . .

**Chapter 17:**

Makoto warily eyed the buildings which lined both sides of the narrow street her Panzer and Riko's STuG were creeping along, noticing that many of them had been damaged and pock-marked with shell holes from previous matches. "We're really boxed in here" she told her crew. "There isn't any room to maneuver left or right. Minna, I don't like this."

"I'm feeling somewhat uncomfortable with it too, Mako-chan" Ami spoke, her voice unusually tense. "If Tigers should appear at both ends of the street, we'll be caught in the middle."

"Hai. And facing their strong front armor with a gun that doesn't have a hope of penetrating it."

"But wouldn't that go against standard Kuramorimine doctine?" Rei pointed out, cradling a fresh shell in her arms. "I thought they would stick together more and try to take us out with shots from multiple guns all at the same time."

"Maybe that's how they usually play it, Rei-chan, but I don't trust Maho. It'd be just our luck for her to try something new today, something we wouldn't expect from a highly-disciplined school like Kuromorimine."

"You believe she may try copying Miho's unpredictable style in today's battle, Mako-chan?" Ami asked in surprise. "That would certainly be out of character for her."

"Why not? It worked well enough for Ooarai during the tournament" Makoto grinned. "I'm so happy Miho beat her, that miserable little..."

The brunette's voice trailed off and she dropped into her turret, slamming the hatch closed above her head. "Still no word from Miho, Usagi-chan?"

"Nothing, Mako-chan. But the fight between Pravda and Saunders sounds like its easing up. I'm only getting a few random reports from Katyusha's tanks now."

"Probably because there aren't many T34's left in the running" Makoto muttered. She looked through her forward viewport toward Riko's tank as it passed by a long section of storefront, when the building's brick wall suddenly bulged outward, collapsing in a heap of rubble. A long gun barrel emerged from the resulting thick cloud of dust and debris, the massive tank it belonged to appearing in the jagged opening it had punched through.

" _Ami-chan, Tiger on Erwin's right!"_

The blue-haired girl rotated her turret traverse control until it banged hard against its stop. " _I see it! Turning!"_

Good fortune was with Ooarai, as Riko had heard the wall collapse and her STuG accelerated hard scant seconds before the Tiger I lobbed a shell towards it. The round scraped along the rear armor of the low-slung machine, leaving a deep gouge across its steel plating. Ami lowered her gun slightly and squeezed her trigger, firing at the Tiger's left track.

"A hit, Mako-chan! Its track came off!"

 _"No flag!"_ Makoto yelled into her throat microphone. _"Hit it again!"_

Minako jammed on the brake, stopping her tank just five meters from the Kuramorimine machine. Rei had already rammed another round into the breech, and Ami managed to fire off a second shell moments before the Tiger's turret had rotated far enough to target her Panzer.

"Got it!" Makoto grinned. "Scratch one Tiger! Good shooting, Ami-chan!"

Luna team's crew cheered, but their commander ordered the girls, "There may be more nearby! Stay sharp, minna!"

Usagi spoke, "Erwin says their tank is still fully operational, Mako-chan!"

"Great! Looks like we got lucky this time" the brunette cautioned her team. "We may not be so fortunate if they surprise us again. Minako-chan, catch us up to Erwin. We've got to get off this road and find somewhere with space to our sides to give us more time to react."

"Hai!" The blonde driver sped forward past the disabled Tiger, while Usagi gleefully radioed the other tanks of Red team to proclaim their kill, her upset stomach now all but forgotten.

. . . . .

Loud cheers rang out from the teens in Makoto's living room, the boys leaping off the sofa with hands raised in joy. " _Way to go, Luna team!"_ Taro yelled. "That was a beautiful kill! Ryo-chan, your Ami is one heck of a good gunner, knocking out a Tiger with only two shots!"

The usually shy, soft-spoken sixteen-year-old beamed proudly at his friends. "She is! That's one Tiger down, and seven to go!"

Haruka raised her hand, giving Ryo a high-five. "We need to see more of that expert marksmanship from your girl, Ryo-chan!"

The group groaned as the picture abruptly switched away from the town, returning to the remnants of the firefight between Saunders and Pravda. "No! Not now!" Yuji grumbled. "I want to watch my Mako and her team knock out another one!"

"I do too!" Michiru giggled.

"Told you it'd get exciting, Michi-chan" her lover grinned.

. . . . .

Inside the lead T34, Katyusha bellowed into her microphone in a near-scream, " _Status report!_ I want an update from all operational Red team tanks, and I want it _now!"_

She was stunned to hear only Nonna's voice reply in the affirmative, as coolly and calmly as ever. "It's just you and me, Katyusha-san. All other Pravda tanks are out of action." She continued, "Saunders' remaining three Shermans are falling back behind that ridge to our west."

"Only two tanks to their three? _This is unforgivable!"_ the short-statured Pravda commander fumed. "Five days in the gulag for everyone careless enough to let themselves be knocked out this early in the match!"

Her driver cautiously spoke, "Do you think threatening detention after classes will improve our situation, Commander?"

" _Silence!"_ Katyusha paused her rant to collect her thoughts. "We are outnumbered by Saunders but this battle is far from over! Nonna, follow me. We'll regroup further north and pounce upon the first Sherman that tries to cross the field to enter the town! We must even the score at all costs!"

"Hai. We'll follow your lead."

The two undamaged T34s heeled around and sped back the way they had come.

. . . . .

"I have an update from that big skirmish off to our west, Mako-chan" Usagi spoke on the intercom. "Two Red team tanks are still operational, and three from Blue team. They have temporarily disengaged."

"Kuso!" Makoto growled. "I was hoping we'd gain the advantage. Minna, this means Ooarai will have to work even harder now."

"I knew you were going to say that" Usagi muttered. "I'm slaving away too much here as it is!"

"On the bright side, the score is still even" Rei offered. "That's some positive news, Mako-chan."

"Hai. Even. For now. But we're still up against Maho and Erika and the strongest of Kuromorimine's tanks, so being even may not be good enough, Rei-chan. At least we're finally clear of that narrow side street."

Luna's Panzer and Hippo's STuG now found themselves at a wide intersection near the center of town, with both Makoto and Riko having emerged from their hatches. "There's a two-storey parking garage to our left, Makoto-san" Riko remarked. "How about we stop on the ramp that leads up to the second level? I can easily cover the majority of the intersection from there."

"Hai. Go for it, Erwin. We'll back you up" the brunette agreed. "Minako-chan, take us there first and fast. I want to make sure there aren't any unpleasant surprises hiding on the second floor."

"That's my favorite word, Mako-chan!" Minako giggled. "Fast!" She pivoted her Panzer sharply left then stepped down hard on the accelerator, sending her tank racing towards the structure, its weathered grey concrete cratered with dozens of holes from prior battles.

"Stop us before we reach the top of the ramp" the brunette added when they arrived at the building. "If there's a Tiger waiting upstairs, they'll have their gun pointed right at us."

"Got it!"

. . . . .

Makoto breathed a sigh of relief to find both floors of the garage deserted. She had her Panzer turn around and halt alongside the STuG, with both guns trained out across the wide-open space beyond.

The two commanders conversed from atop their tanks. "We probably shouldn't stay here too long, Erwin. If nobody shows up, we'll be out of position if another big firefight starts somewhere else."

"Hai. I was thinking the same thing, Makoto-san. But maybe we'll get lucky and another lone Tiger will drive past-"

The girl wearing the Field Marshall's cap was interrupted by a radio call from Saori. "Attention all Ooarai teams! Four Tiger II's have entered the town, heading north! Report your current locations please."

"I'll do ours" Makoto offered. She reached for her map and read off their current grid coordinates. "Hippo and Luna are waiting inside a garage entrance east of the intersection and are ready to move out. Just give the word where you need us to go."

Miho's voice came on the radio. "Please hold your positions, Erwin and Makoto-san. Those Tiger II's are headed straight towards you. I'm sending Turtle and Leopon to back you up. They should be arriving from that cross-street west of you in approximately three to four minutes at most. That Tiger you knocked out probably sent a distress radio call, so expect their friends to be hunting for you."

"Acknowledged" Riko replied. "Uh... how long do you think it'll be until the Tigers arrive at our location, Miho?"

"At their current rate of speed... I'd estimate about two minutes, max."

Riko and Makoto looked at each other. "Things are about to get interesting, Makoto-san" the girl wearing the cap grinned.

"Hai" the brunette chuckled. " _Really_ interesting!" She squeezed her throat microphone and asked, "Miho-san, any idea who's leading that group?"

"I can confirm one of the Tigers is Erika's, Makoto-san. Sumimasen" the brown-haired commander apologized. "I wish we could help you out, but we're too far west of your position. There's activity on a hill south of us, probably my sister and her remaining Tigers forming up to rush us."

"No problem. We'll take care of the tanks coming our way" Makoto reassured her worried friend. She released her microphone, remembering how Kuromorimine's arrogant second-in-command had taunted her school and rudely insulted Yukari earlier that day. The tall brunette's expression changed, her green eyes narrowing as she felt the familiar Sailor Senshi fighting spirit swelling within her.

" _Damned right we'll take care of them!"_ she vowed.

. . . . .


End file.
